Green Acres Retirement Home

Pros

• The staff were very good to her mother.
• They kept the family informed about how she was eating and other aspects of her care.
• After moving to another facility, she was helped to feed herself, was restored to health, and was able to enjoy the remaining time in her life with care and love.

Cons

• The COVID visitation restrictions were kept overly long, and staff were snippy about making appointments.
• The facility was described as mismanaged.
• Understaffing was cited as a safety risk, with residents able to leave unsupervised.
• A staff member reportedly argued with a resident who has Alzheimer's instead of offering patient, respectful care.
• Residents were reportedly not adequately fed, with staff sometimes watching them struggle to eat.
• Communication with families had declined, leaving them less informed about the resident's condition and eating.
• There were claims that the facility did not employ nurses.

Review

For more than five years, my family has relied on Fairgreen Assisted Living to care for my mother. The journey wasn't easy from the start - the pandemic forced us to think twice about making visits or arranging appointments. At first I understood the need for caution, but the enforcement of visiting restrictions dragged on longer than it needed to, especially as other facilities began easing restrictions weeks earlier. I found myself growing more frustrated as the communication about her care grew inconsistent, and some of the employees who had once been so helpful and reassuring were no longer there. The disconnect between what I needed to know and what I was being told became a regular sore point, and the emotional toll was real.

I am a relative of a past resident, and that perspective colors everything I say about this place. The way I feel now is hard to put into words: I would never recommend Fairgreen to anyone. In my view, the facility is mismanaged. My grandmother stayed there, and in my opinion, the lack of attentive care contributed to her deteriorating health. She fell and required hospitalization several times after we moved her from Fairgreen to another facility, something that had not happened at the place we transferred her from. An employee there would sometimes argue with her and correct her, which, given her Alzheimer's, only seemed to provoke her. You want staff who listen and respond with patience, especially with someone who is dealing with memory loss, not someone who needs to be right in her face.

The broader picture I've observed plus what I've lived through points to a systemic problem: understaffing. It's not just theory; it's visible in the way visitors come and go and how little supervision there is at the front desk. In my experience, that lack of oversight created real opportunities for residents to leave the facility unsupervised, which is dangerous for someone with Alzheimer's. There were days when my grandmother needed help eating, and she did not receive it with the level of care she required. I would be told she was dying from not eating enough, which felt alarming and out of context given what I saw with my own eyes - how she struggled, how staff watched rather than assisted. Eventually we made the decision to move her to another place where she could be fed and cared for properly, and for the remainder of her time she was able to enjoy comfort, support, and dignity.

In documenting these experiences, I've also tried to address the differing memories and statements that exist around Fairgreen. For instance, I corrected a review from Bella Garalde to clarify that the issue centered on an individual employee rather than the facility as a whole, and I emphasized that my grandmother's story involved how she managed to leave the building, not a general pattern for every resident. The rest of our experience remains rooted in Fairgreen - my grandmother did stay in Fairgreen for part of her life, and we visited there many times. The clarification was important to separate the specifics from broader claims, especially when trying to keep straight which facility housed which family member during which period.

The matter was further complicated by comments about whether Fairgreen employs nurses or how secure doors function. In response to a review by Cynthia Ravosa, I was told that Fairgreen does not employ nurses and that someone with Alzheimer's could not repeatedly exit through a secured door by using a code. Those assertions feel untrue to me, and I question whether the two people involved were talking about the same facility or perhaps another place with a similar name. The claim that the account was untrue or inflammatory strikes a nerve for families who are trying to make sense of their loved ones' care. What matters to us is accuracy about what happened, and that care decisions are made with a focus on safety and dignity for residents.

All of this has left me with a clear, lingering impression: communication, staffing, and consistency in care at Fairgreen need serious attention. The pain of watching a loved one struggle to eat, or to stay safe, or to feel connected to the people who are supposed to protect them is not something any family should have to endure. If there is a silver lining, it would be a renewed commitment to listening to families, ensuring that staff are sufficient in number and properly trained, and maintaining a transparent line of updates about a resident's day-to-day wellbeing. Until those changes happen, the concern I carry for my mother and for others who live there remains a guiding force behind my wary stance and my reluctance to recommend the facility to others.

Located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, this neighborhood offers convenient access to a variety of amenities essential for senior living. With numerous physicians and pharmacies within close proximity, residents can easily access medical care and medications. Nearby hospitals such as Bert Fish Rehab and Wellness and AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach provide additional peace of mind. For dining options, there are a range of restaurants including Denny's and River Deck, offering delicious meals without having to travel far. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the nearby parks like Buena Vista Park and Smyrna Dunes Park for leisurely strolls or enjoying nature. Additionally, there are cafes like Island Roasters Coffee Company for socializing with friends over a cup of coffee. Overall, this area provides a well-rounded environment suitable for seniors looking to live comfortably with easy access to essential services.

Physicians

• Centre Forty-Four Condominium Association (0.2 miles)
• New Smyrna Beach Family Practice (0.2 miles)
• Florida Center for Dermatology and Liposculpture (0.5 miles)
• Davis Dermatology (0.5 miles)
• Island Doctors (0.6 miles)
• Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery (0.6 miles)
• Atlantic Family Dentistry (0.6 miles)

Pharmacies

• Little Drug Co (0.5 miles)
• Walgreens (0.7 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (0.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (3.7 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (4.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Bert Fish Rehab and Wellness (0.6 miles)
• AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach (0.6 miles)
• Bert Fish Medical Center-Edgewater/Imaging & Diagnostic (2.2 miles)
• Halifax Health - Medical Center of Port Orange (8.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Denny's (0.8 miles)
• River Deck (0.9 miles)
• Merk's Bar & Grill (1.3 miles)
• Outriggers Tiki Bar and Grille (1.4 miles)
• Mom's Home Cooking (1.7 miles)
• Norwood's Restaurant & Wine Shop (2 miles)
• Mon Delice (2.1 miles)

Parks

• Buena Vista Park (1.2 miles)
• Dog Park (2.5 miles)
• Rotary Park (2.5 miles)
• Smyrna Dunes Park (3.2 miles)
• Seamore Memorial Dog Park (6.2 miles)
• Toronita Avenue Park (7.6 miles)

Cafes

• Island Roasters Coffee Company (1.6 miles)
• Heavenly Sandwiches-Smoothies (2.1 miles)
• Panera Bread (8.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• Glencoe Baptist Church (2.4 miles)

Theaters

• Pavilion STM 14 & RPX (8.5 miles)